QUEENSLAND CUP ROUND 17 PREVIEW

Tweed has suffered dual blows in its quest to break into the Wizard Cup top five, losing experienced pair Matt King and Ben Hill.

After deputising as captain during Andrew Moroney?s recent layoff, King has succumbed to a separated shoulder. Meanwhile former Parramatta lower grader Hill has been charged with a grade two dangerous throw and looks likely to miss the next fortnight.

One up-and-comer named on the bench for Tweed is former Toowoomba Souths junior Scott Gray. Aged 19, Gray is not to be confused with the former Toowoomba Clydesdale and Scottish rugby union international of the same name.

Souths Logan has its own judiciary concerns after halfback Cameron Joyce was hit with a grade two striking offence, attracting 131 points with an early guilty plea.

Last season the Magpies beat Tweed Heads twice and this year they are coming off a 30-20 win against Ipswich. With 60 Queensland Cup games under his belt, 21-year-old prop Stan Fau has been marked by the Pies as having unlimited potential.

When the two clubs met at the Piggabeen Complex in 2004, Tweed Heads lost halfback Steve Packer with bleeding on the brain after he fell awkwardly from a shoulder charge.

After spending time in hospital, Packer is now back ?surfing and doing all the things a young kid should on the Gold Coast?, according to coach Steve Murphy. However he is unlikely to play football again and turned down an opportunity to work as kicking coach with the Seagulls, instead focusing on studies in physical education.

IPSWICH hosts its last State League fixture of the season this week and there is little doubt Trevor Gillmeister?s men would love to claim another big scalp on home soil.

In the Jets? most recent appearance at QLD Group Stadium they overcame Burleigh 20-16. After this week they will play four away matches and then have the bye in the final round.

Gillmeister was eager to learn the outcome of a high tackle charge on utility back Andy Poynter (pictured), however the Englishman will not miss any games even if found guilty. Surprisingly the Jets used just eight interchanges in their 30-22 loss to Souths Logan last week, including two in the first forty minutes.

Redcliffe is locked in a battle to consolidate its place in the top five and secure home ground advantage at least for the first weekend of finals.

From last week?s loss to North Queensland Daniel Green was charged with a dangerous throw, attracting 125 demerit points if found guilty or 93 points for an early plea.

Fellow Dolphins backrower Jamie Russo is likely to miss the next fortnight after rupturing his quadriceps against the Young Guns.

Troy Lindsay will play his 196th Queensland Cup match this weekend, putting him within striking distance of becoming the first player to reach 200 games in the competition. Greg Bourke is four points away from becoming the third player to score 900 in the Cup.

Former Wynnum junior Daniel Strickland will lead North Queensland from the front row in Saturday?s clash against his old region.

With Matt Scott and Mitchell Sargent playing NRL and Jaiman Lowe suspended for two weeks (dangerous throw), Strickland steps up from his usual back row role.

At 191cm and 100kg Strickland (pictured) will peer down in the scrum at Wynnum hooker Ron Troutman, standing 162cm and weighing 74kg.

A local legend at Kougari Oval, Troutman will play his 99th first grade game for the Seagulls after being recalled from Mixwell Cup last week against Toowoomba.

Wynnum chief executive Mark Rockley said Troutman?s chance to realise his dream of 100 Queensland Cup games in his 10th season with Wynnum was ?not without reason?. The diminutive playmaker had given up on ever reaching the milestone, but has showed great form to keep both Royce Simms and Brett McPherson at bay.

A player with connections to both clubs, Paul Green, is said to be targeting an August 6 comeback from a broken leg. Wynnum is set to play Easts that day and Green could face another State of Origin veteran in Darren Smith.

Recent Maroons representative Josh Hannay is back for his second appearance in the Wizard Cup with North Queensland, while new signing Brett Firman has also been named.

North Queensland is still unbeaten at home this year and needs three more victories to equal its record of 14 wins in a State League season. Michael Inman will officiate.

There is only one club throughout the history of the Queensland Cup which Central has never been able to beat. That club is Burleigh.

With the Comets winless this season, Sunday?s match-up can either be viewed as an impossible task or an opportunity to make history.

One positive in the past week has been the re-signing of forward utility Herewini Rangi, 21, one of the shining lights for the Rockhampton club in 2005. Rangi (pictured) played second row in the Comets? 46-10 loss to Burleigh earlier this year, but has been named at hooker this time around.

The Bears have backrower Robert Apanui facing a charge of contrary conduct after being placed on report in last week?s 22-16 win over Tweed Heads. He will attract 93 points with an early plea, but faces 125 points and a one-week suspension if proven guilty.

Hooker Ryan Gundry and interchange forward Scott Cooke were also on report from Round 16 but were found to have no case to answer.

Coach Rick Stone accused the Bears of ?dumb? play in the second half of the clash with Tweed, but one player he continues to be impressed by is fullback Phil Ramage, filling in for the injured Reggie Cressbrook. Cressbrook should be due back just before the finals, while Kris Flint is an uncertain proposition.

Scorer of four tries against Central last time they met, Trent Purdon (14) is still one try behind Greg Inglis (15) on the list of most potent players this season. The referee for the match at Browne Park is Rob Alexander.

Clydesdales forward Darren Mapp (pictured) will also celebrate his 100th match in all grades for the Broncos organisation, including a combined 63 games for Brothers and Toowoomba.

At the other end of the spectrum rookie Denan Kemp gets a taste of State League after a wildly impressive season for Wests in the Mixwell Colts Challenge. Other changes for Toowoomba see Joe Clarke back from ankle injury, while Greg Eastwood is on duty with the Junior Kiwis. Tony Duggan replaces Berrick Barnes at halfback.

Fresh from a week off, Norths will aim to replicate its 44-34 defeat of the Clydesdales in Round Seven where the Devils led from start to finish.

After withdrawing from last week?s Queensland Residents match on game day with the flu, Anthony Boyd has been named to skipper the Devils from lock.

As the table stands Norths is third on 19 competition points, while Toowoomba is fifth on 17 points. Both have one more game left to play than the other teams in the top five. Brett Suttor will control the match at Suncorp Stadium.